The Port Wine Thread

[Chris.]

Originally Posted by ir13

Finally found a bottle locally and picked it up. Gonna pop this bottle with a few friends and enjoy a few smokes with it. This is by far my fav port ive had so far, but ive yet to get into the higher end ones bc of the fear of dropping good money and not liking it.

I gotta try that with you Joey. I thought about picking that up a few days ago as well, but I still haven't finished my six grapes!

[RichardW]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I
Just poking around my photobucket album, I found this one:



[snip]

How did you pop the bottle top, Moses? That's a sweet little trick -- a lot more efficient than fishing and filtering.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by RichardW

How did you pop the bottle top, Moses? That's a sweet little trick -- a lot more efficient than fishing and filtering.

I used port tongs to cleave the end of the bottles off. Doing so allows the cork to be preserved for identification and prevents fishing the cork out. The tongs are fun to use and I have an acetilene (sp) torch just for this.

It's very easy to get a cork out of bottle that has been pushed in, but I'd rather not have to deal with it.

Rare and/or unique bottles I may pull the cork, but I generally do not save corks or bottles so they are of little concern.

[Old Sailor]

Taylor 10 & 20yr ....20 a little harder to find here, but well worth it.
Grahams 10yr
Fonseca White
Six Grapes

[Savvy]

Picked up a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 10 yr, and a bottle of Fonseca Bin 27 for a herf over the weekend. Looking forward to trying the Fladgate, and I know I like the Bin 27

[Bubba - NJ]

I just opened my first bottle of Osbourne Tawny Port tonight . Seemed a bit sweeter then the bottle of Fonseca Bin 27 I had previously . Can anybody give me a reference point about the sweetness levels of different types of port ? The ruby I've had seemed dryer then the Tawny and I've not yet tasted a LBV .

[mosesbotbol]

The risdual sugar levels are probably very close to both bottles you mentioned. The styles will have different levels of acid which change your perception and add to the dryness of port. It's the acid that makes it drier, not the RS level.

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I used port tongs to cleave the end of the bottles off. Doing so allows the cork to be preserved for identification and prevents fishing the cork out. The tongs are fun to use and I have an acetilene (sp) torch just for this.

You learn something every day. I'm a big port fan (although I usually stick with the local varieties). I Googled a few articles on the port tongs that were very interesting.

[s0leful0ne]

just had some Penfold's Tawny port. Rob suggested it because he is a big fan of their other wines. It was a very good port for only 10.99 at Total Wine.

[TheRiddick]

One of the most profound bottles I have had so far was provided by Roy Hersch, not sure if you know the guy or his Port newsletter (lives in Seattle). He brought the bottle to a dinner I organized in SF for local wine geeks and opened it, blind, after dinner. After letting every one enjoy the wine he asked all of us to guess the vintage. Some said '80s, some guessed '70s. I guessed '63-64 looking at the slight oxidation the color showed and the "more developed" complexity of the wine, after all, 40 years of age is pretty good as is. Turned out to be a Sandeman Vintage 1945, I was shocked at how well preserved the wine was, anyone else but Roy pouring it I would have said '80s, that young in appearance and color, taste as well: vibrant by all respects and still with a huge aging potential.

Too bad I can't afford a bottle.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

One of the most profound bottles I have had so far was provided by Roy Hersh, not sure if you know the guy or his Port newsletter (lives in Seattle).

I know Roy fairly well. We have had a couple offline tastings, one of which was a nearly complete Croft vertical from 1896 to 1970 with every vintage represented and no off bottles! The previous evening we had 1927 Graham, 1948 Taylor, and several others that were big hits that are escaping me. The day after our Croft vertical, it was a 1967 Nacional with '54 Dalva White Colheita.

Last weekend I went to a "50 Years of Post War Graham" where 9 bottles were represented up to 1994,

[TheRiddick]

And I thought I am drinking well...

Fonseca makes good port. Anyone drink white port?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by ReggieFSULaw

Fonseca makes good port. Anyone drink white port?

Fonseca is my favorite post war port house, followed by Grahams.

[mosesbotbol]

Here's yesterday's port tasting pictures:

From Left to Right:

1927 Taylor Vintage
1934 Da Silva "Vintage"
1935 Croft Vintage
1948 Warre Vintage
1955 Graham Vintage
1966 Dow Vintage
1977 Offley Vintage
1978 Taylor Crust Port

Here's our table just before the start.

For food, we ate 1/2 lb of Iberico Jamon and Wild boar salami with an assortment of fancy cheese.

For cigars, started off with a Partagas Serie D., then Sancho Panza Corona, wind it up with a Cohiba Esplendidos.

I am all set for cigars and port for the rest of the week. Feeling it this morning...

[Chris.]

Man, that looks great! I would love to do some port tasting like that!

[tooomanycolors]

bogle tawny is nice

[WildBlueSooner]

I picked up a bottle of Gould Campbell 2001 Late Bottle Vintage...this will be my first port. Has anyone tried this?

[WildBlueSooner]

Originally Posted by WildBlueSooner

I picked up a bottle of Gould Campbell 2001 Late Bottle Vintage...this will be my first port. Has anyone tried this?

??

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by WildBlueSooner

I picked up a bottle of Gould Campbell 2001 Late Bottle Vintage...this will be my first port. Has anyone tried this?

Gould Campbell is a good name in port. I would expect to be decent at a minimum. Let the bottle breathe for 4-6 hours after decanting through cheesecloth.

Please report back with your tasting impressions!